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Monday, 19 March 2012

Lucky Chip at The Sebright Arms

With London's burger scene ever growing, Lucky Chip met with rave reviews and comparisons with Meat Liquor's burgers. Both styled from the same American-diner style stable, Lucky Chip's burger menu includes more leftfield options like the Jeff Bridges' True Grit burger (bacon, bourbon glazed apple, bbq sauce, grits etc), as well as the Tom Selleck and the Kelly LeBrock. I heard rumours of Bill Murray's Life Aquatic surf and turf burger, combining beef with soft shell crab within one bun. Wowzer.

One Friday evening, I weaved my way around the back streets of Bethnal Green to The Sebright Arms to meet four friends. Lucy Chip is usually at Netil Market during the day and at evening this pub serves their burgers. A regular old boozer, we arrived at 7pm and the place already had a buzz about it. By the time we left at around 10pm it was packed to the rafters and I had to shimmy my way around people to make my way out. No queue though.

I went for the Kevin Bacon (a bacon cheeseburger), while my friends opted for the Kelly LeBrock; a beef patty sat on spinach leaves and topped with cream cheese, caramelised onions and bacon. A little mix up with the waitress whereby she almost gave me my burger but then changed her mind and then I had to wrestle it off her, dislodging the bun lid and having her slapping it back on bare-handed almost detracted from the experience, but then one bite of the burger and it was all forgotten. The meat was juicy and well seasoned - crucial for a burger, I feel - and the bacon crisp and fatty. The bun was a shiny one, holding its' shape well and not distracting from the contents.

Star of the show were the chilli cheese fries (above, shit photo). The fries were properly potatoey and topped with chilli that had a real kick and had us reaching for tissues to stem the sniffling. Their menu lists fries served with free truffle oil which we had a portion of, but I much preferred them when dunked in a the pot of properly spicy wasabi mayo.

I saw a couple of their hot dogs go past which looked excellent so I'll be sure to be trying them next time. We came away having spent about a tenner each (on food, the booze was a different story), satisfied and happy.

I'm not a big fan of burgers yet patiently queued for God knows how long at Netil Market so that my boyfriend could get one. I was looking forward to trying their beetroot onion rings but they ran out just as we were served. I had a hot dog instead and it was pretty forgettable. Big Apple Hot Dogs are much better. But my boyfriend loved his burger and went to the Sebright Arms a mere few days later to get a second helping.

Burgers are all about leaving you satisfied and happy, so it sounds like these ones really hit the spot. It's a bugger that I find out about this after I've left Hackney, but it does give me a good reason to venture back.

dont go on a saturday afternoon if weather is nice .. waited 40mins (during which they told me my order was on grill ... it wasnt i heard them call it out 10 mins later) .. whilst waiting for a burger i never got cos i couldnt be bothered to wait 50+mins (this is supposed to be takeway not a restaurant!!!!!!!!!!!!)my bike was stolen in broad daylight from outside the school where it was chained up .. thks for f**** nothing lucky chip

its a burger van sweetheart not a restaurant or are you stupid??? would never have ordered if it i knew it would take 50 mins + .. in 50 mins i was waiting for my burger my bike got nicked .. if they hadnt taken so long or at least had decency to warn me it wouldnt have taken thta long my bike wouldve have been nicked .. simples

Anon - how pleasant you are! No, I am not stupid. Are you quite sure that's not you? As Lucky Chip are in their kitchen, not a burger van. You can see on their website too. http://www.sebrightarms.co.uk/food-drink.php and, you know, the burgers coming out of their kitchen.